The Legend of Zelda: A Sheikah's Journey
by HyruleKing
Summary: When the Dark Lord Ganondorf returns to Hyrule, CJ, the Sage of Shadow and King of Hyrule, sets out on one final journey to obtain three ultimate items and finally defeat the King of Evil.
1. Prologue: CJ Francis, King of Hyrule

**The Legend of Zelda: A Sheikah's Journey**

_A/N: Also, I realize that if you've been following my stories from the beginning, that they have repeatedly said "screw the rules, I have no continuity…" or in typical Legend of Zelda fashion "Timeline? What is this Timeline of which you speak?" Well, this will change all that. This story will show my characters' history as it happened, and it will conflict with some of my stories (but remember that HCIS Season 3 was a book written by the Director, so only some parts were true. As for the Duel in Hyrule series (both original and revised), I wrote things into those stories, that later I felt didn't make sense and thus changed._

_And remember, I am writing this as if the readers of this have read most of my other work, so I won't be describing many characters._

**Prologue: CJ Francis, King of Hyrule**

The Triforce… A symbol of great power in Hyrule… But you know the cliché, With great power comes great responsibility…

But there's more to it than just that… Let's go back a little bit.

My name is CJ Francis. I'm 23 years old, and I'm the King of Hyrule. But more than that, I'm also the Sage to the Shadow Temple and the bearer of the Triforce of Power. A piece of the Sacred Triforce that for centuries was held by the evil Gerudo King Ganondorf… who's also my ancient ancestor…

I learned of my heritage as Sage of Shadow around the time I was 10 years old… When I lived in the United States, on Earth. But around the time I was 15, I met my first wife, Saria Floyd… or going by her full name, Princess Sariaisa Lynn Hyrule.

After meeting her, I left Earth and moved to Hyrule, on the planet Corneria, where I learned of my heritage as Prince of Gerudo and destined bearer of the Triforce of Power. We stayed together for quite a few years and even had a child, a daughter named Lynn. But things changed not long after my 21st birthday.

Here's the deal: In addition to being the King of Hyrule, Sage of Shadow and bearer of the Triforce of Power, I also sit in the seat of Director of Hyrule's leading federal law enforcement agency, Hyrule Criminal Investigative Service, or HCIS for short.

After transferring my lead team from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in the United States, on Earth, my agency began to be plagued by Ganondorf. Of course, I had already been dealing with him for the past 5 years. But this time, things were different. I sought to end everything once and for all. I confronted Ganondorf, man-to-man. But he brought backup, my own cousin, Ashley Dragmire, Sage of Spirit.

Of course, despite my wishes, Saria followed me to my fight with Ganondorf and was killed by Ashley. In a fit of rage, I killed both Ashley and Ganondorf.

I moved on, remarried, and continued to rule Hyrule. But then, my second wife died in a tragic plane crash. I fell into deep despair and began dating a girl who was 9 years my younger, who eventually became my third wife… foolish error on my part. My best friend, the former Sage of Water, however, turned on me and attempted to take over my kingdom. Half the Sages were lost in that war, including my daughter Lynn and my wife Shaylene. However, I used the power of the Triforce to resurrect Shaylene.

But I soon realized the error of my ways. Shaylene and I separated so she could live life as a normal teenager, and I married my fourth wife, Stacey, who is the bearer of the Triforce of Courage and also the Sage of Water. We were together for almost two years, until my feelings for Shaylene began to return again... She and Stacey had a rather unusual fight over me, but in the end, Shaylene, and my heart's true feelings, won and now Shaylene and I are remarried.

Since the war with the Zora Lord, I have found those who were meant to fill the shoes of the lost Sages, and two new Sages have arisen in Hyrule… One of them turned out to be Shaylene, who became the Sage of Life. The other is a Gerudo boy named Samuel, who is the Sage of Death… I guess Shaylene couldn't escape Fate.

After killing Ganondorf after the loss of Saria, I thought I was finally rid of him, but I was wrong. He's returned to haunt me on several occasions since then, and every time, I've managed to defeat him, though I've never killed him… But that's all about to change. Wheels have begun to turn in Hyrule, and I'm confident that I will find a way to rid the universe of this evil once and for all… But before that, let's go back… to the beginning of my story…


	2. The Child of Power

**CHAPTER ONE: The Child of Power**

_To really understand everything, I have to go back to the very beginning… To the day that Ganondorf first entered my life…_

"Ha ha ha! So this is what it's come to! The King and Queen of Gerudo fighting for themselves! I knew if I slaughtered your army, you would step out and face me!" Ganondorf stood in Gerudo Palace, facing a dark brown-haired, brown-eyed man and a brown-haired, blue-eyed woman.

"Be gone from our kingdom, and never return!" The man shouted.

"Hand over the Triforce of Power, and I will be!" Ganondorf exclaimed.

"Never!" The man shouted, as he and Ganondorf began to trade blows. Within minutes, the man was thrown to the ground by Ganondorf who charged toward the woman, sword drawn. The man watched in horror as Ganondorf drove his sword through her neck, killing her instantly.

"How dare you!" The man shouted, charging Ganondorf.

"Let's end this." Ganondorf smiled as he pierced the man's chest with his sword. The man fell lifeless to the ground and the Triforce of Power vanished from his hand.

"Mommy! Daddy!" A little boy about the age of 4, with brown hair and blue eyes ran into the room.

"The heir!" Ganondorf exclaimed. He ran toward the boy and gasped as a red barrier surrounded him.

"No! You will not harm him!" Din's voice echoed. The boy then vanished.

"_I was swept away to safety by the goddess Din… Who took me away to live with my grandmother in the United States… But even that didn't protect me completely…"_

A young CJ, about the age of 10, now wearing glasses, sat alone in the corner of the schoolyard, playing with a few action figures. A red-haired, green-eyed boy about the age of 12 or 13 walked over with a couple of other boys.

"Look, guys. The little kid's playing wit' dollies." The boy said.

"They're not dolls! They're action figures!" CJ said.

"What did you just say, punk?" The older boy said. He punched CJ in the face, knocking him to the ground. He then grabbed one of the action figures and snapped off its arm.

"Don't do that to my toys!" CJ shouted.

"Hmph. I'll do what I want." The boy said, biting the head off of another figure and walking away, chuckling. "Mouth off to me again and your arm will end up like that doll's."

"_But the events of that day are what led me down a road to Darkness…"_

A week or two later, CJ stood in a small forest clearing, his hands glowing purple. He shot an energy blast at a nearby stone structure he had assembled, blowing it apart.

"Perfect… I'll use this power to take down Ganondorf and make him pay for what he did to my family." CJ said.

"I can help you get what you want, my child…" CJ looked and saw a man with green hair that was spiked in the front and tied into a long ponytail.

"Huh?" The man smiled as a green stone appeared in front of CJ.

"Grasp the stone, and I shall give you the power you need…" The man said. CJ took the stone in his hand and it soon became a Duel Monsters card bearing a picture of the Seal of Orichalcos.

"What is this?" CJ asked.

"The power you need…"

"_I abused the new power I had found… to get revenge on those who had hurt me… And I swore I would use it to take down Ganondorf… But at the same time, my darkness led me to my destiny… though I didn't know it at the time…"_

2 years later, CJ walked in the park down the street from his house. His brown hair was a mess, and his blue eyes were filled with rage. In his hand was the Seal of Orichalcos

"That jerk who broke my arm has to be around here somewhere…" CJ said to himself. After walking around for a while, he left the park, unable to find the bully. He walked down the street, bound for home. He stopped walking when he heard something behind a nearby house. He ran around to the side and peeked into the back, where he saw the same bully who had wrecked his action figures a couple years earlier. On the ground in front of the bully, leaning against the house, was a scared 8-year-old girl with blond hair and blue eyes. Her pants were around her ankles, her hands were tied and her underwear had been torn off.

"Please… please don't hurt me…" The little girl begged.

"Shut up, ya little brat!" The bully shouted, punching the girl in the face. "Just be quiet. I'll make this as quick as possible." The bully unzipped his pants and smiled sinisterly.

"Hey!" CJ shouted, catching the bully's attention.

"I thought I taught you a lesson when I broke your arm!" The bully shouted.

"No, but I'm gonna teach you one!" CJ said, as he held up the Seal.

"Oh no…" The bully said, pretending to be scared. "What are you gonna do, gimme a paper cut?" The card began to glow and a green light covered the bully. When the light vanished, the bully dropped to the ground.

"No. I'm gonna make you atone for your sins." CJ said. Before the girl could even say anything, CJ walked away.

"_Little did I know, the girl who I saved was destined to one day become my wife… but that day was still years away…"_


	3. The Princess of Hyrule

**CHAPTER TWO: The Princess of Hyrule**

"_Once I discovered my powers as Sage of Shadow, it was only so long before my destiny caught up to me and I returned to Hyrule… And one day, I met someone who was the key to kick-starting my destiny…"_

15-year-old CJ walked through the halls of his school, on his way to the bathroom. He looked down the hall and saw a young woman, about his age, with blond hair, blue eyes and pointed ears, wearing a pink tank top and jeans, standing near the auditorium.

"Whoa…" CJ gasped. She noticed him and smiled. He quickly looked away.

"Can I help you?" She asked.

"I… I…" CJ stumbled on his words.

"You what?" The girl asked, smiling a little.

"Would you… like to go on a date with me?" CJ asked. 

"You have no idea who I am do you?" The girl asked. CJ looked at her for a moment.

"Wait… I saw you on TV last night! You're Saria, the Princess of Hyrule!" CJ said. "So… what do you say, would you go out with me?"

"You're just asking because I'm a princess." Saria said.

"Yeah, that's why I was stunned by your beauty and then after talking to you and asking you out, I remembered you were the Princess of Hyrule." CJ said, sarcastically.

Saria smiled. "You're funny. I like that. Okay, then, I'll go out with you." Saria said. "But, my Dad has to come with us."

"I can live with that. A Princess needs a bodyguard." CJ said.

"_Of course… I didn't realize the truth behind what I had just said… It was going to resonate through my life more than I expected…"_

Saria was strapped to a bed in a cold prison cell. Standing in front of her was a scientist in a white lab jacket. In his hand was some medical equipment.

"This is what you get for not handing over the Triforce Destiny Cards to my boss." The scientist said.

"Wh-what are you gonna do to me?" Saria asked.

"Just a small medical treatment." The scientist said. "This might- Oh wait, this _will_ sting a b- I mean, _a lot._" Saria glanced behind the scientist and a strange black sphere struck the nearby security camera, disabling it. The scientist then fell to the ground. In his back was a small throwing star. It was then that someone dressed in a black bodysuit walked into the cell. They wore a mask that consisted of bandages wrapped around their face, revealing only a single blue eye.

"Who- who are you?"

"Don't worry about that." The person said in a deep voice, obviously male. He then pulled a small pill out a pouch at his waist. "Take this. It's bitter, but it will help your wounds. Trust me." Saria cautiously took the pill and swallowed it.

"So, are you here to help me?" Saria asked.

"Indeed I am, Princess Saria." The man said.

"How did you know I'm a princess?" Saria asked.

"Don't worry about that." The man said. "Listen, I've disabled the security cameras in this hallway. We have a limited amount of time before the guards come down here looking for us. It's time we get out of here."

"I'm way too weak to walk." Saria said. The man then reached down and snapped the restraints holding Saria to the bed.

"I know that." The man said. He then scooped Saria up in his arms and rushed out of the cell. The man rushed down the hallway with Saria in his arms. They soon came to an elevator. The doors were wide open. The two got into the elevator and the doors closed.

"Won't they catch us here?" Saria asked.

"I've disabled the camera in here." The man said. "In fact..." The elevator doors opened. The man got out, placed Saria on the floor, and pressed a button on his watch. Suddenly, the lights shut down and the hallway became bathed in red light. "Power to the whole building is out, aside from the emergency lights." The man picked Saria up and rushed down the hallway. Saria smiled as the two walked out a door and found themselves outside the building. However, they were on a cliff overlooking the ocean.

"Now what?" Saria asked. The man handed her a small glass bottle filled with a red liquid.

"Drink this." The man said. "This potion should restore some of your strength. We're gonna jump in."

"What?" Saria exclaimed. "Your gonna have me jump into the ocean in a white bra? Do you have any idea what that will do?"

"Would you rather get whipped and killed by Jr?" The man asked.

"Good point." Saria said. She quickly drank the potion. The man put her down and she was able to stand up. He put his arm around her waist and she put hers around him.

"Ready?" The man asked. "1...2...3...jump!" The two then dove into the ocean below the fortress. The man grabbed Saria's waist and swam toward a small speedboat that was floating out a sea about a mile away from the island. She smiled as the man climbed onto his boat and pulled her up as well.

"I owe you one." Saria said. "How could I ever thank you?"

"No need to...it's my duty." The man said.

"Huh?" The man pulled off his mask, revealing his face. Saria smiled as she realized her rescuer was CJ. She quickly pulled him into a tear-filled embrace.

"What did you mean it was your duty to rescue me?" Saria asked.

"I'm a Sheikah." CJ said. "We're destined to protect the Royal Family, which you're a part of."

"Wow...thanks." Saria said. CJ then handed her a pair of jean shorts and a lavender tank top. "But...I'm gonna have to quit the tournament. I lost my deck back in the fortress." CJ reached behind himself a pulled out a silver deck box.

"Not quite." He said. "I grabbed your cards before saving you." He handed her the deck. She opened it and found her deck inside, perfectly dry.

"How are they still dry?" She wondered.

"It's a special water tight deck box." CJ said. "Now, sit down. We need to bandage that wound and fast. You've already lost quite a bit of blood as it is."

"Why'd did it stop bleeding?" Saria asked.

"That pill I gave you was to stop the bleeding and restore your strength a bit." CJ said, as he bandaged the wound on Saria's stomach.

"Thanks again." Saria said, smiling.

"_But I did more than just protect Saria… She was the original bearer of the Princess of Destiny card. And together, with my King of Evil, and her brother's Hero of Time, the three of us took the Great Sea's Duel Monsters tournaments by storm… Until the finals of the Great Sea Duel Extravaganza…"_

CJ and Saria stood atop the Great Sea's Tower of the Gods, face to face in a duel. Standing before CJ was the King of Evil, and before Saria was the Princess of Destiny, both equal in strength at 4500 points.

"This is the toughest duel I've ever fought." CJ said (LP: 250). "But I will end it here… I activate Black Pendant, increasing Ganondorf's attack power (ATK: 5000)! Destroy the Princess of Destiny!"

"Activate Book of Moon!" Saria said. "This will flip Princess of Destiny into defense mode, saving my Life Points."

"That doesn't mean anything, babe." CJ said. "I activate Backup Soldier! Since I have more than 5 monsters in my graveyard, I can add 3 Normal Monsters with 1500 or fewer attack points to my hand… And I choose a special three cards…" CJ smiled as he revealed his hand.

"I don't think so." CJ said, showing his hand. Saria gasped.

"It-It's not possible! How-How did you-?"

"I summon Exodia the Forbidden One!" CJ exclaimed, as the five pieces of Exodia appeared on the field and merged into the unstoppable monster. "Exodia, obliterate!" Saria fell onto her back (LP: 0). CJ walked over to her, grabbed her hand and pulled her up.

"Wow... what a duel..." Saria said.

"Yeah. It was." CJ said. The two smiled at each other. CJ then pulled Saria in close and the two shared a passionate kiss. The entire stadium erupted in a calm "Awwww..." As the two kissed.

"And the winner of the Great Sea Duel Extravaganza... CJ Francis!" Everyone cheered as Patrick walked up to CJ and handed him a bag of silver and orange gems.

"_But, Saria was more than just my first love, or one of my many great dueling partners and rivals… She was my first wife and the mother of my first born daughter…"_

A group of people sat in comfortable chairs on the lawn of Hyrule Castle. They were neatly lined up in two groups: ten rows of ten chairs, with an aisle separating the two groups. At the end of the aisle was Patrick, dressed in a white suit. In front of him were CJ an Saria. CJ was wearing a black tux and Saria was wearing a flowing white dress. In a seat in the front row was Saria's mom, Becky, and on her lap was 6-month-old Lynn.

"Do you, Saria Floyd, take Charles Francis to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Patrick asked.

"I do." Saria said.

"And do you, Charles Francis, take Saria Floyd to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Patrick asked.

"I do." CJ said.

"By the power vested in me, by the gods of Hyrule, I now pronounce you husband and wife." Patrick said. "You may kiss the bride." CJ pulled Saria into his arms and kissed her deeply and passionately. "Not that much." Everyone laughed. CJ broke the kiss and chuckled.

"Look at her, CJ... She's beautiful." Saria was laying in a hospital bed, holding a baby girl with blue eyes.

"She has your eyes, babe." CJ said, kissing Saria on the forehead.

"What should we name her?" Saria asked.

"How about Lynn?" CJ asked.

"What about a middle name?" Saria asked.

"What do you have in mind?" CJ asked.

"I'm thinking... Megan." Saria said.

"Lynn Megan... I like it." CJ said.

"Me too." Saria said.

"_And it would've been a Prince and Princess fairy tale ending… with the Prince of Gerudo marrying the Princess of Hyrule, and the two becoming King and Queen and uniting Hyrule and its neighbor, Gerudo… If it weren't for one man… The man who killed my family…"_


	4. The King of Evil

**CHAPTER THREE: The King of Evil**

"_The man who killed my family… Ganondorf… the dark lord that has plagued me since I moved to Hyrule… But more so, since I began to take on other roles in Hyrule… Such as the Director of Hyrule's leading federal agency, Hyrule Criminal Investigative Service, or HCIS for short…"_

"Patrick... I'm sorry to do this, but..." CJ was sitting in the HCIS Director's office with Patrick. "This agency was completely unable to catch the Zora Sniper until I requested that NCIS send Special Agent Gibbs and his team." He placed a paper on Patrick's desk and stamped it with the royal seal.

"CJ... Are you?"

"I'm sorry, Patrick... By order of the King of Hyrule, you are hereby demoted to HCIS Assistant Director." CJ said. "And, I am stepping up as Director."

"_And it's this job that led me to the death of Saria... And my cousin Ashley… One of the darkest days of my life, but at the same time, seemingly one of the brightest…"_

CJ walked into the squadroom, where Patrick and Becky waited with the rest of the team.

"Patrick... Becky... Can I see you guys in my office?" He asked. He led the Floyds into his office.

"What's up, CJ?" Patrick asked.

"I have good news and bad news." CJ said.

"I don't like the sound of that." Patrick said.

"The good news is that I've finally rid the world of Ganondorf's evil." CJ said. "The bad news-"

"Please don't say my husband's losing his job." Becky begged.

"I wouldn't do that to my in-laws..." CJ said. "However... I'm not sure if I can call you guys my in-laws anymore."

"I hope you're not gonna say what I think you're gonna say.." Becky said.

"Ashley was working with Ganondorf." CJ said. "When I went to confront them, Saria followed me. Under Ganondorf's orders, Ashley blasted Saria with magic blasts, which ended up killing her. I was able to kill Ganondorf and destroy his body so he'll never plague us again, and I struck Ashley to the point where I knocked her into a coma, and she succumbed to her injuries on the way to the hospital. I'm sorry." Becky buried her face into Patrick's chest and began to cry. CJ stood up and walked toward the door. "Excuse me for a moment."

CJ walked into autopsy and over to one of the tables. He looked down at the bag as a tear came to his eye.

"I'm sorry, cuz... I never meant for this to happen... Please forgive me." He said, looking down. A bright light then caught his attention. He turned around and saw Ashley standing there, in a semi-transparent form. She was garbed in puffy white pants and a purple top. Her hair was tied into a ponytail and she wore golden jewelry.

"It's okay, CJ. There was no excuse for what I did... I was foolish. I should've learned from the mistakes of our ancestors." Ashley said.

"Why'd you do it?" CJ asked.

"I guess I got caught up in the power." Ashley said. "Can you forgive me?"

"I already have." CJ said. "And, tell Saria I love her." With that, Ashley's spirit vanished and CJ fell to his knees and wept.

"_I was finally rid of Ganondorf… After that, I returned to the United States for a vacation, and soon I reunited with an old friend, who would soon become my newest girlfriend… And together, her and I hosted Corneria's number one reality TV show… The Amazing Race…"_

A helicopter flew over Bowser's Castle, in the northern Mushroom Kingdom. Standing in front of the castle were two people. The first was a brunette boy with blue eyes and glasses, garbed in a red t-shirt and tan shorts. The second was a brunette girl with hazel eyes, a black tank top, and jean shorts whose hair was tied into a ponytail. The two walked across a bridge extending from the castle to a nearby cliff. In the distance was a small white house with a red roof, and beyond it was a large city surrounding a bright castle.

"This... is Bowser's Castle. From this castle, home to the King of the Koopas, twelve all-star teams are about embark on a race around the world for ten million gold coins. I'm your host, CJ Francis." The boy said.

"And, I'm your co-host, Kylie Howard. Currently, twelve teams of two are being transported by Koopa Kruiser to the starting line here at the top of Vista Hill, just north of the home of the famous Mario Brothers. These teams each have a special relationship, and vary in size, species and age." The girl added. "These teams are..." Twelve airships shaped like upside down domes with clown faces on them could be seen flying toward the hill, just past the white house.

"_But yet again, my heart was ripped out… Some may say it was Fate's doing…"_

CJ stood in a Cul-de-Sac on Grove Street, in Los Santos, San Andreas. Next to him was an African-American man in green hoodie and jeans. They both stood atop a large rug map of Corneria, as a pair of Amazing Race contestants ran over to them.

"Welcome to San Andreas, I'm C.J. from Grove Street." Carl said.

"James and Fox." CJ said. "You're team number two."

"Not bad... Not bad at all." James said.

Soon, two more teams drove up to the barrier on Grove Street and ran toward the map.

"Mario and Luigi... Kirby and MetaKnight... You're teams number three and four."

It was then that CJ's cell phone.

"Hello? What! I'll be right there!" He said, hanging up. He then motioned to a nearby Koopa Troopa crewman, who ran over. "Joe, I need you to take over for me. I have something important to take care of."

"Sure thing, CJ." Joe the Troopa said.

"What should we do, Your Highness?" A cop asked CJ.

"Take her back to Hyrule." CJ said, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. "I need to finish what I'm doing here." He pulled out his cell phone. "Change of plans, Rich. Send everyone to the island for the next leg. Get four more safes to the Sheriff's office. Call Madison and tell her that I'll be there to pick her up sometime in the afternoon." With that, he hung up his phone and walked outside and boarded a waiting cab. "Grove Street, please..."

Everyone was gathered together in a hotel dining hall not too far from the pit stop at Grove Street. CJ walked in to the dining hall and cleared his throat.

"Can I have your attention, please, everyone?" He said loudly. Everyone turned and looked at him. "I know many of you were looking forward to this race, but we are going to have to cut your time both here in San Andreas and on this race short. The next two legs were planned to keep you here in San Andreas. However, due to an unfortunate turn of events, you will all be racing together in the next leg in a race to the finish line." Everyone gasped.

"The final leg already?" Bowser asked.

"Unfortunately, the plane that my co-host and girlfriend, Kylie Howard, was on crashed on its way to Los Santos International Airport." CJ said. "There were no survivors." Everyone gasped. A few audible "oh no's" were heard. Several of the crew members walked over to comfort the host, who was fighting back tears.

"It's okay, dude." Bowser said, walking over to comfort his friend.

"I must return to Hyrule as soon as I can to begin to arrange for Kylie's burial, and to inform the kingdom of the loss of another Queen." CJ said. "So, the first team to cross the finish line next leg will win ten million gold coins. However, since we are ending this early, the second place team will win 500,000 coins. Third place will win 250,000 coins, and the rest of you will each get a one-week trip to Hyrule, during the week of King's Day, January 29th, a day honoring the birthday of the king of Hyrule."

Cream, having yet to depart for Elimination Station, walked over to CJ and hugged him.

"It'll be okay." She said.

"Thanks, Cream." CJ said. "Enjoy the rest of your stay here in San Andreas, everyone."

"_And it was the loss of Kylie that drove me into my darkest hour…"_


	5. The Innocent Youth

**CHAPTER FOUR: The Innocent Youth**

"_Having lost Saria, Kylie, and Saria's parents soon after, I was driven into despair… And a deep darkness soon after… A darkness that my heart and mind were blind to in the beginning, and even now, I can still feel that darkness trying to grab hold of my heart… But maybe now, I'm just fearful of letting my heart fall down the wrong path like it did before…"_

"Director Francis, you have a call from someone named Shaylene on Line Three." CJ's assistant said. CJ gasped, and quickly pressed a button on the phone and picked up.

"Shaylene?" CJ asked. "What's up?"

"My brother Steven is missing." Shaylene said.

"When was the last time you saw him?" CJ asked.

"This morning, before I left for school." Shaylene said.

"Did he say he was going anywhere today?" CJ asked.

"He said he was going rock climbing this morning with his girlfriend." Shaylene said.

"Where?" CJ asked.

"Granite Gordo's Rock Climbing Center." Shaylene said. "I tried calling him and his girlfriend, but I didn't get any answer. And, his car is still in the driveway, and there's a car here that I don't recognize."

"Do you have any friends nearby?" CJ asked.

"Yeah, my friend Kelly lives right down the street." Shaylene said.

"Go to her house." CJ said. "I'll be there as soon as I can be."

"Director, what's going on?" Tony asked.

"Shaylene's brother has gone missing. She called me to help find him." CJ said, as he pulled into Shaylene's driveway. He looked at Gibbs and nodded, then looked back at McGee and Tony and nodded. All three got out of the car, guns drawn.

"Stay behind me, Shay." CJ said. He stood at the back door, with Tony and Gibbs nearby. McGee was just behind them. "1... 2... 3... Go!" CJ kicked the door open. Tony and McGee headed upstairs, Gibbs headed to the basement, and CJ covered the first floor.

"Clear!" Gibbs shouted up from the basement.

"Clear!" Tony called down from the second floor.

"Clear!" CJ called out.

"Guys! You're gonna want to see this!" McGee shouted. CJ, Tony and Gibbs ran upstairs, where McGee was standing in a bedroom on the third floor of the house. On the bed, was a familiar boy. CJ looked at him and frowned. Shaylene saw him and burst into tears. She rushed forward, but CJ pulled her back and held her in a tight embrace.

"Steven..." CJ said.

"Hey, CJ, who's this?" Tony asked, directing everyone's attention to the body of a blond-haired, brown-eyed girl with a gunshot wound in her head. In her hand was a 9mm pistol.

"That's Katherine..." CJ said. "Damn."

"Why Steven? What did my brother ever do to deserve this?" Shaylene asked, crying. CJ held her close.

"That's what we're gonna find out." CJ said.

CJ and Shaylene soon walked into Steven's bedroom, where Gibbs and the team were wrapping things up.

"Case closed, team." CJ said. "You can turn Katherine's body over to the family."

"And Steven, Director?" Ducky asked.

"He's to be buried in Kakariko Graveyard, alongside his family." CJ said.

"My parents and Jennette are buried in Hyrule?" Shaylene asked.

"Yeah." CJ said.

"Why?" Shaylene asked. CJ motioned for Shaylene to follow him downstairs to her living room. They sat down on the couch.

"I talked to your brother when I was here…" CJ said.

"About your sister, Steven…" CJ said.

"What about her?" Steven asked.

"When I moved, I promised I'd come back and visit." CJ said. "I messed up. I didn't come back and visit. I never got to apologize to Jennette for that. I don't want to make that mistake again."

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"I'd like to extend an invitation for you and Shaylene to come live in Hyrule." CJ said. "I know she'd love to get to see me more often. And, I run a restaurant in Castle Town: The Hungry Hylian. My delivery guy recently quit and I could use a new employee. Would you like the job?"

"Sure." Steven said. "But, I need to work some things out first."

"Okay." CJ said.

"You were gonna have us move to Hyrule?" Shaylene asked.

"Yeah." CJ said. "I wanted to be close to you."

Shaylene blushed. "CJ… I… I like you." CJ blushed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay." CJ said. "I like you too."

"Will you… be my boyfriend?" Shaylene asked.

"Well, I'm a little old for you, and I should say I can't… But… Yes, I will." CJ said.

"Really? But, if you know I'm too old for you, why say yes?" Shaylene asked.

"Well… I guess you say that you're my weakness." CJ said, smiling.

"_Deep down, I knew it was wrong… But, something inside me… For lack of a better word, just didn't care, I guess… After coming to Hyrule, Shaylene stepped into the shoes of the Sage of the Forest…"_

CJ and Shaylene stood in a small forest with a green-haired, green-eyed girl. She had the physical appearance of a 13-year-old, but her face was significantly more aged.

"Have you found your descendant?" CJ asked.

"No." Saria said. "I had a daughter some time back... Florence, but she left Hyrule and moved to the United States, where she married a human boy named Stephen. She contacted me when she gave birth to her daughter, Brenda, and when Brenda married a man named David. But, after the birth of their son, Steven, I heard nothing from them. I don't even know where to find them."

"What was Stephen's last name?" CJ asked.

"I don't know. But, I do know that Dave's last name was Johnson." Saria said. CJ and Shaylene gasped.

"That's my last name!" Shaylene said.

"And, Dave and Brenda were her parent's names." CJ said.

"Were?" Saria asked.

"Shay's entire family was killed." CJ said. "Her and I used to be best friends before I moved to Hyrule."

"So, she must be my great granddaughter." Saria said. "And, my descendant. Well, then, Shaylene, let's duel. For you see, I am the Forest Haven gym leader. Shaylene, you and I shall duel for a Rose Badge. And, so I can test your worth as Sage of the Forest."

Shaylene activated her Duel Disk and slotted her deck.

"That was an excellent duel, Shaylene." Saria said. "You are definitely worthy of this." She held out a small green medallion that held a picture of four thin leaves curved and shaped together to resemble a pinwheel. Shaylene grabbed it and was surrounded by a green aura. CJ smiled.

"Congratulations, Shay." CJ said. "You are now the Sage of the Forest. We've found your destiny in Hyrule." He then held out a blank card. He smiled as it glowed green and a picture of Shaylene appeared on it. "Here."

"Is this... me?" Shaylene asked.

"It's a card that will allow you to tap into your power as a Sage during a duel." CJ said. "Shaylene, Sage of the Forest." Saria then held out a group of cards.

"Here. The rest of the Forest Sage cards that will help you in a duel: Saria, Kokiri Sage... Ancient Sage of the Forest... Forest Temple... Forest Medallion... Phantom Ganon, Evil Spirit from Beyond and Hero's Bow." Saria said.

"_And soon, after the loss of my former brother-in-law, Ryan… Shaylene stepped into another role in Hyrule."_

"CJ!" Ryan exclaimed. "Get everyone out of here!"

"What?" CJ asked.

"Kaiba is possessed by Agahnim!" Ryan exclaimed.

"The Ancient Sorcerer?" CJ asked.

"Yes." Ryan said. "Now, go!"

"What about you?" CJ asked. Ryan deactivated his Duel Disk and threw the watch and deck to CJ. He then drew the sword sheathed at his back. It was a silver, double-edged sword with a blue hilt, the sacred Master Sword. On Ryan's hand, glowing brightly, was the Triforce of Courage.

"Get everyone out of here!" Ryan exclaimed, and everyone but CJ ran out of the gym. "I'll fight the King!"

"King of Darkness!" Kaiba exclaimed, as Aghanim appeared behind him.

"Ganon! Finish what we started centuries ago! Kill the Hero!" Agahnim shouted.

"Ryan! No!" CJ exclaimed.

"CJ! Run! NOW! Or Ganondorf will get you too!" Ryan exclaimed. "You have to run from Ga-" His sentence was cut short as Ganon drove his trident into Ryan's chest. Blood poured from the wound as he fell lifeless to the ground. The Triforce of Power then glowed brightly on CJ's hand, as the Triforce of Courage vanished from Ryan's.

CJ and Shaylene then walked into a temple. Opposite the door where they entered was a small pedestal. CJ walked up to it and smiled.

"This is it... Face the final challenge of your ancestors and accept the Triforce of Courage." He then became garbed in black armor, a crimson cape and he held the Golden Pyramid Sword. Shaylene was now garbed in a green hat and tunic, golden gauntlets, brown boots and white leggings. In her hands was the Master Sword. "Defeat me in battle and Courage is yours." CJ charged at Shaylene, sword at the ready. He thrust his sword toward Shaylene, and she quickly deflected it with her sword. She thrust and swung her sword at CJ, and he ducked and dodged every swing. He swung at her, knocking her to the ground.

"Stay strong..." CJ said. "Your mental defenses are all you have. I can't help you like in the desert." Shaylene rushed forward and leaped into the air. She landed behind CJ and struck him in the back, knocking him forward onto his stomach.

"Hyah!" Shaylene leaped into the air and thrust downward with her sword. CJ quickly rolled out of the way and jumped onto his feet. He rushed toward Shaylene and swung. She did the same and their swords locked. CJ pushed forward, then Shaylene pushed him back, then he pushed her back, and finally, she disrupted his balance. She struck him in the chest with her sword, knocking him onto his back. She leaped into the air and drove her sword towards CJ's chest. Suddenly, she threw the sword to the side and fell onto CJ. He quickly knocked her off and stood up.

"Don't hesitate! When the time comes, just act!" He exclaimed. He ran toward Shaylene, ready to strike. Shaylene rolled to the side, grabbed her sword and thrust it into CJ's chest. Both swords began to glow before vanishing. CJ's clothes then changed back into a red t-shirt and jean shorts, but Shaylene's stayed the same.

"What happened to my clothes?" Shaylene asked.

"That is the garb of the ancient hero." CJ said. "You are now the Courageous wielder of the Triforce of Courage." Shaylene looked at the pedestal and saw the Triforce appear on it, the lower-right triangle glowing. Suddenly, her body surged with energy and she fell to her knees. Her amulet then began to glow and she felt strong again.

"What was that?"

"Ryan's magic just transferred into your body." CJ said. "And your amulet activated to contain it at a safe level."

"I'm scared... I don't know if I can handle this magic." Shaylene said.

"I know you can, Shay." CJ said. "I won't let your magic overpower you."

"Promise?" Shaylene asked.

"I promise." CJ said. "I'll train you so you can handle your Sage magic, your Triforce of Courage, and the Master Sword... Once we find it."

"So, my magic won't hurt me?" Shaylene questioned.

"Not as long as I'm around to protect you." CJ said. He kissed Shaylene and smiled. "I love you, Shay. And don't ever forget that."

"I won't." Shaylene said. "And... I love you too."

"_And soon after that, Shaylene and I took things to the next level…"_

CJ and Shaylene stood in the castle throne room. Shaylene was standing close to CJ with her arms wrapped around his waist. He had his arm around her shoulder. In front of them was a brown-haired, silver-eyed Hylian man in a gold robe. He handed a piece of paper to CJ.

"It's all set, Your Majesty." The man said. CJ turned to Shaylene.

"Ready?" He asked. She nodded and the three stepped out onto the balcony of Hyrule Castle. Below them were people from all over Castle Town, as well as news cameras.

"People of Hyrule… My people…" CJ said. "I give to you… Your new Queen… Mrs Shaylene Francis!" Cheers erupted from the crowd. Shaylene looked at CJ and smiled.

"Are we gonna have a big ceremony?" She asked.

"As soon as you turn 16." CJ said. "I promise."

"_But it was shortly after those events, that things took a turn… a turn far worse than I ever could've imagined… One that changed the face of my kingdom forever… And changed me forever as well…"_


	6. The Fallen Sage

**CHAPTER FIVE: The Fallen Sage**

"_I had found a new Queen to lead my kingdom, who also bore the Triforce of Courage, Saria's Triforce of Wisdom was safe in my body until the day my daughter turned 13, and I thought things were fine… Until my former best friend, the former Sage of Water, turned on me… And unfortunately, my cousin Ashley, who the goddesses saw fit to bring back to life, couldn't escape Fate…"_

CJ, Shaylene, Mat, Ashley, and Mat's brother Tom stood in Hyrule Castle Courtyard.

"Mat? What in the name of Din is going on?" CJ asked. "Why is your brother, the banished Sage of Fire, in my courtyard?"

"Well… Here's the thing…" Mat said. "I called him here…"

"Do you have any idea what you did?" CJ exclaimed. "If the goddesses find out, they'll banish you too!"

"You don't understand!" Mat said. "He saved Termina from a power hungry king. He returned the land to its former glory of Ikana!"

"And…" Tom said. He raised his hands and formed a fireball in each. "I was given back my powers…"

"Mat… You have some explaining to do…" CJ said. "Now!"

"Look, CJ… Between my marriage to Ashley and your marriage to Shaylene, almost all the tribes in Hyrule are united in one family." Mat said. "It's a perfect opportunity to unite the kingdom just like King Harkinian did centuries ago."

"You seem to forget that King Harkinian failed to fully unite the kingdom…" CJ said. "Look back at our history. King Harkinian used the power of the Triforce to unite the kingdom after the Hyrulian Civil War, but even so, the people still continued to fight amongst each other. The Kokiri remained separate from everyone, under the protection of the Great Deku Tree and the Gerudo wouldn't even let outsiders into their valley!"

"But CJ, we can pull it off…" Mat said.

"Enough! You will speak no more of this!" CJ said.

"What are you doing? Please! No! STOP!" Screams of terror and pain echoed throughout Goron City as an army of Zoras ravaged the area, killing all Gorons who stood in their way, and enslaving all others with the ability to control fire. Mat walked into his brother's room and began ripping it apart.

"Where's the Spiritual Stone of Fire?" He wondered.

"CJ's right, bro…" Mat turned as saw his brother standing there. Where his left arm should've been was an arm made completely of flames.

"No he's not!" Mat shouted.

"You just murdered half my tribe and enslaved the other half!" Tom shouted. "Do you really think that's the way to unite the country?"

"SHUT UP!" Mat exclaimed. He then drew back his hands and created a wave of water that turned into a sword, piercing his brother's heart. He then walked back into the main part of the city, where the Zoras were standing, with tied up Gorons near them.

"King Mat, what shall we do?" One Zora asked.

"Take the prisoners back to the domain!" Mat said. "And to make sure they don't use their fire powers, throw them in the waterfall pool!"

"What did you do?" Ashley and Mat were standing in the Zora Throne Room, looking out over Zora's Domain. Down in the waterfall pool, trapped in several cages, were groups of Gerudo women.

"Simple… I captured the allies that will help me unite Hyrule!" Mat exclaimed.

"You enslaved my people!" Ashley yelled.

"NO! I made the move that will save our kingdom!" Mat screamed, as his pupils turned red. "And, I'm gonna finish that move!" He then gathered his energy and created a water sword, piercing Ashley's heart.

"Why... did… you… do… that…?" Ashley asked.

"Simple…" Mat said. "You've already betrayed this kingdom once. What's to say you won't do it again? In fact, you already have been by trying to stop the unification."

"I was… saving Hyrule… from… you…" Ashley said with her dying breath.

"_But in betraying me, and his country, my former best friend made on fatal mistake…"_

CJ and Shaylene flew over the southern forests of Hyrule, where Shaylene immediately gasped and broke out into tears.

"CJ… Look…" She said. CJ looked down at the sight of dozens of Kokiri, Korok and Ordonians dead. The forests were burning, and the Wind and Forest Temples were destroyed. CJ then looked ahead and saw the same could be said for Castle Town. Rising up from Hyrule Castle's courtyard was a flag with the Zora Insignia on it.

"That's it… I'm done… This ends now!" CJ said, flying down to Hyrule Castle. He gathered energy into his hand and blasted through the main door of Hyrule Castle. He and Shaylene walked into the castle, ready to fight. Lynn was in a small pouch strapped to Shaylene's back. As soon as the three entered the castle, they were swarmed by Zora guards.

"No one enters the castle of the Zora Lord without permission!" One guard exclaimed. CJ gathered energy in his hands and looked at Shaylene.

"Get out of here… Go someplace safe!" CJ said.

"No! I'm staying to fight with you!" Shaylene exclaimed.

"That's not a request, Shaylene! That's an order!" CJ shouted.

"I'm not letting you fight alone!" Shaylene yelled. "I'm not gonna lose you!"

"That's why you have to leave!" CJ commanded.

"I already said, I'm not-!" But Shaylene's sentence was cut short. CJ's eyes widened as a Zora guard stabbed his spear through Shaylene's chest. CJ became enraged as the spear exited through Lynn's chest. The Zora yanked his spear from them and CJ watched as his wife and daughter dropped lifeless to the ground.

"This is what happens to those who defy the Zora Lord…" The guard said. Suddenly, CJ's eyes, Shadow Medallion and hands began to glow purple, and his clothes changed to a purple robe. The full Triforce appeared on his hand and with a mighty attack, every Zora in the castle was killed. He then stormed into the throne room, where Mat waited.

"So… You came…" Mat said. "I knew you would…"

"I've seen the colonies, Mat!" CJ shouted. "You betrayed my kingdom!"

"Show some respect in the presence of your ruler!" Mat exclaimed. "I am the Zora Lord!"

"You'll get no respect from me for what you've done!" CJ said.

"Fine!" Mat said. "Then I challenge you to a Sage Duel!"

"_Part of me wanted to end the war peacefully, but yet, I knew that couldn't happen…"_

CJ clutched the amulet around his neck. It began to glow and he then rode a pillar of fire back to the throne room. He slammed to the ground, using a wave of wind and earth to knock Mat back into the castle's moat. He then carried Mat up into the air with a pillar of water. He slammed Mat into the ground in Hyrule Field. A massive amount of vines and roots then pinned Mat to the ground.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Mat asked, fear in his voice. CJ's voice then changed to include the voices of every Sage who ever lived, along with the voices of the three golden goddesses, Din, Nayru and Farore.

"Mathew Colson… King of the Zoras… Sage of Water… You have betrayed this kingdom by enslaving and killing its people! And for that, you must pay!" CJ said. He then gathered the energy of all 10 sages into his Golden Pyramid Sword, which he then merged with the Master Sword and the Picori Blade, creating a glowing golden blade.

"No, wait! Please don't!" Mat screamed as CJ thrust the blade into Mat's chest, killing him instantly.

"You took far too many lives, Mat… The only atonement for your crimes was death…"

"_Unfortunately, after everything I had lost… I had to make the toughest decision I had ever made…"_

The Triforce then appeared before CJ. He placed his hand on it and looked to the sky. "Great goddesses who shaped this land of Hyrule! My Queen, my people and my fellow Sages have all fallen at the hands of the Zora Lord! Grant my wish! Allow me to guard the powers of the Sages within my amulet, and bury Hyrule beneath the sea until I can find those meant to revive this fallen kingdom!" The Triforce then began to glow, as did CJ's amulet. CJ then felt the energies of the Sages enter his body, and he soon found himself standing on the shores of the United States.

"It's done…" He said to himself, as he watched Hyrule sink beneath the waves. The Triforce of Power then reappeared on his hand as the Triforces of Courage and Wisdom vanished, beginning their slumber until those destined to awaken them would come.

"_I had sent Hyrule into slumber, until I could find the new Sages… While studying the ancient texts of Hyrule, I learned that Mat and his brother Tom were not the true Sages of Fire and Water, but that their mother had killed the Sages of Fire and Water, a husband and wife from my hometown in the United States. I also learned that the Sages had two children who escaped death because they were too young to inherit their parents' powers… Two daughters… I knew it would be on me to find them and give them their powers… But they weren't the only Sages who needed to rise to power…"_


	7. The True Sages Part 1

**CHAPTER SIX: The True Sages (Part I)**

"_So I began my journey to find the new Sages who would help protect my kingdom… The Sages of Fire and Water were the first…"_

CJ and Stacey stood in front of Peach's Castle in Toad Town.

"I still can't believe I was right!" Stacey said. "The Mushroom Kingdom is real!"

"I know… It's amazing." CJ said. "It's even more amazing to live here." CJ said.

"I wish I could, but… I can't leave my sister alone in the States…" Stacey said.

Suddenly, a blue light appeared in between the two and CJ's Triforce Amulet began to glow. The two stepped back and CJ watched as the Water Medallion appeared in front of Stacey.

"What… What is this…?" Stacey asked. Then, CJ's hand began to glow and the Triforce of Courage appeared on it.

"Stacey… You know about the kingdom of Hyrule, right?" CJ asked.

"Yeah… It's the link between Earth and Corneria." Stacey said.

"Well… There's something you should know… You have a connection to Hyrule…" CJ said.

"I… I do?" Stacey asked.

"Yes… I felt it the day we met." CJ said. "As soon as you asked me about the Light Prognosticus, I thought you had some connection to the Mushroom Kingdom. I see know that you weren't connected to the Mushroom Kingdom, but in fact, you're connected to Hyrule."

"I am?" Stacey asked.

"Yes." CJ said. "Come with me and we'll talk about it." CJ and Stacey were soon walking through Toad Town, talking. "I'm sorry to bring this up, but you told me that you lost both your parents when you were young, right?"

"Uh… yeah." Stacey said.

"Ok." CJ said. "That blue medal that appeared before you means that you are the Sage of Water in Hyrule.

The next day, CJ and Stacey stood in Stacey's living room with a brown-eyed girl about the age of 15, with shoulder length brown hair. She wore a pink t-shirt and jeans.

"Janelle… There's something you should know…" Stacey said.

"Have you ever heard of Hyrule?" CJ asked.

"Yeah… it's not too far off the coast of the U.S., right?" Janelle asked.

"Right." CJ said. "And I'm sure you've played the Super Mario games?"

"Yeah." Janelle said.

"Well… the Mushroom Kingdom is a real place." CJ said. "Hyrule is a portal that connects Earth to the distant planet of Corneria, in the Lylat System. Corneria is home to the Mushroom Kingdom, and five other places… Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh and Unova."

"You're kidding!" Janelle exclaimed. "You mean, if I went there, I could actually catch REAL Pokemon?"

"Yup." CJ said. "But, there's one thing you should know… If you know about Hyrule, then you know about the Sages, right?"

"Yeah. I did some research on Hyrule for a school project." Janelle said. "The Sages are ten people with gifted magical abilities who each control a different element in order to protect Hyrule and keep balance."

"That's right." CJ said. "Here's the thing… You… are the Sage of Fire." The Fire Medallion then appeared in front of Janelle, glowing.

"I'm… the Sage… of Fire?" Janelle asked.

"It makes sense…" Stacey said. "You've always loved Fire Pokemon when you played the Pokemon games."

"And… Your father was the Sage of Fire before you." CJ said. "Just as your mother was the Sage of Water."

"Wait, does that mean that Stacey…?"

"Stacey's the Sage of Water." CJ said.

"_And I soon found the Sages of Forest and Time…"_

CJ, Stacey and Janelle were standing in Stacey's living room, when a black-haired, blue-eyed girl in a black t-shirt and jeans walked in.

"Yo, CJ!" The girl exclaimed. "What's up!"

"Hey, Chelsea." CJ said, giving the girl a high-five.

"So, what'd you call me here for, Stacey?" Chelsea asked.

"I asked her to." CJ said. "Have you heard of Hyrule?"

"Yeah." Chelsea said. "My mom used to live there. Before she gave birth to me of course."

"Well, I'm the King of Hyrule, and the Sage of Shadow. Unfortunately, the Sage of Water recently turned on the kingdom and half of the Sages were killed, including the Sage of Water and his brother, the Sage of Fire…" CJ said.

"Oh wow…" Chelsea said.

"However, they weren't the true Sages of Fire and Water…" CJ said. "That honor belongs to Janelle and Stacey. And, I have a feeling that you may be the Sage of Time."

"Really?" Chelsea asked. CJ's Triforce Amulet then began to glow and he held out the power orb of the Sages of Time. The power of Time vanished and a silver medallion that resembled a clock appeared before Chelsea.

"Just as I suspected… You're the Sage of Time." CJ said. "All that's left is to find the new Sage of the Forest and the one meant to bear the Triforce of Wisdom and then we can revive Hyrule…" Suddenly, Chelsea's hand began to glow and the Triforce of Wisdom appeared on it.

"Dude… I think I might be the bearer of Wisdom..." She said.

"It would make sense…" CJ said. "The Sage of Time and the bearer of Wisdom are usually one and the same. Now, come with me. We need to use the power of the Triforce to revive Hyrule."

"But, don't we need all three parts?" Chelsea asked. "Where are Power and Courage?" CJ held up his hand, aglow with the Triforce.

"Right here." CJ said. "I am the bearer of Power and Courage."

"Awesome!" Chelsea said. "But, what about the Sage of the Forest?" Suddenly, the three Triforce pieces began to glow and the History of the Forest Sage appeared before CJ. It opened to a page that showed the Triforce and a blond-haired, green-eyed girl.

"I think I know what to do…" CJ said.

CJ, Stacey, Janelle and Chelsea stood on a boat in the Atlantic Ocean, near the spot where Hyrule sank beneath the sea. Behind them in a second boat were Yugi, Tea, Serenity, Joey and Mai. Everyone held up their hands, CJ's and Chelsea's aglow with the Triforce. The three pieces then combined in the sky.

"Great goddesses who shaped Hyrule… I thank thee for leading me to those meant to aid me in the protection of Hyrule. I unite the Sages here, along with the Triforce, in request that you revive the lost land of Hyrule and the lost Sage of the Forest so that we may take our places in the Temples and protect the land that you worked so hard to create!" CJ said. The earth then violently shook as Hyrule arose from beneath the waves. The nine Sages were then standing in Hyrule Castle's courtyard. A green glow filled the area and CJ gasped as a blond-haired, green-eyed girl about the age of 13 appeared before them.

"CJ… Wh-what's going on?" The girl asked. "Where am I?"

"Shaylene… I used the power of the Triforce to revive you." CJ said. Shaylene's hand then began to glow and the Triforce of Courage returned to her.

"So… what happened to the other Sages?" Shaylene asked.

"Mat killed Tom and Ashley." CJ said. "I had to kill Mat. I had no choice… As for Lynn… We lost her as well…" Tears began to form in CJ's eyes.

"So… What happened to her power?" Shaylene asked. Chelsea held up her hand, aglow with the Triforce of Wisdom.

"I got it." Chelsea said. CJ wiped his eyes and looked at his castle.

"CJ…" Stacey said.

"Are you okay?" Shaylene asked.

"Yeah…" He said, looking at his reborn wife and friends. "I'm going to be just fine…"

"_But things weren't done changing… Chelsea may have been Sage of Time and Shaylene may have been revived as the Sage of the Forest, but they weren't the true Sages… And Yugi wasn't the true Sage of Spirit… So I started with a decision that caught Shaylene off-guard…"_


	8. True Sages Part 2

**CHAPTER SEVEN: The True Sages (Part II)**

"A… transfer of power?" Shaylene asked. "Wait… You're taking away my powers? CJ, how could you do this to me? I thought you loved me!"

"I do love you, Shay." CJ said. "But not like that… You're like a sister to me… I was wrong treating you like something else… You're too young."

"So… Why the transfer of power?" Shaylene asked, still confused.

"Like I said, kiddo." CJ said. "You're too young… You're 13. I want you to grow up and live a normal life. I want you to find love with someone your own age. And I don't want the burden of protecting Hyrule to be on your shoulders. And, the goddesses agreed with me. The same goes for the Triforce of Courage."

"So, I'm just going to be a normal girl again?" Shaylene asked.

"For the most part." CJ said. "Truth is… you'll still have Kokiri blood in your veins… You'll still be able to tap into your natural magic and cast spells; they just won't be as powerful as they would be if you were still a Sage. Had you never come to Hyrule, you would've never received your Sage powers. But you did come, that can't be changed. But still, I want you to live a normal life."

"I understand, CJ…" Shaylene said, smiling a little. "Do what you have to." CJ then held out his hand. His Triforce Amulet began to glow and an orb of green magic was pulled from Shaylene's body. It then formed into a small green medallion and dropped into CJ's hand. The Triforce of Courage then appeared on his hand as well.

"And listen…" CJ said. "I will still train you so that you can use the magic you have to defend yourself if necessary."

"Cool." Shaylene said. "Thanks. But, who's going to be the Sage of the Forest now?"

"The power will react when someone worthy of possessing it is in its presence." CJ said.

He and Stacey then walked down the hall to the throne room. Inside waited a brown-haired, blue-eyed young woman about 19 or 20 in a black t-shirt and jeans. She had glasses on, as well as a silver necklace in the shape of a dragon. Next to her was a blue-eyed young man about the age of 22 or 23 with light brown hair and glasses, dressed in a green t-shirt and jeans. The girl noticed Stacey and immediately ran over and hugged her.

"Stacey!" The girl exclaimed. "What are you doing here?"

"I live here." Stacey said. The girl was shocked. She looked at CJ.

"Hey, Sarah." CJ said. "How do you know Stacey?"

"We went to school together." The girl, CJ's friend Sarah, said. "How do you know her?"

"We met on my last trip back home." CJ said. "I was searching for the new Sages, and it turns out that Stacey was destined to be the Sage of Water. We started hanging out, she moved to Hyrule, one thing led to another, and next thing we knew, we were dating."

"You're kidding?" Sarah exclaimed.

"Nope." Stacey smiled, as CJ wrapped his arms around her. "It's true."

"So, who's this?" CJ asked, pointing to the young man next to Sarah.

"This is my boyfriend Mike." Sarah said. Suddenly, CJ's Triforce Amulet began to glow. The Forest Medallion appeared in front of Mike, and an orange medallion appeared in front of Sarah.

"What the heck is this?" Mike asked.

"CJ, what's going on?" Sarah asked.

"It looks like you guys have a big place in Hyrule…" CJ said, as the medallions vanished. Mike briefly glowed green, and Sarah briefly glowed orange. "Mike… you're the Sage of the Forest. And Sarah, it seems as if you're the Sage of Spirit."

"I thought Yugi was the Sage of Spirit." Stacey said. A young man with purple eyes, blond bangs and spiked black hair with red tips walked in. He wore a blue t-shirt and jeans shorts.

"Hey, CJ." The young man said.

"Hi, Yugi." CJ said. "What's up?"

"My power vanished this morning." Yugi said.

"Sarah, when did you guys get here?" CJ asked.

"Around 11:30 this morning." Sarah said. "We've been sightseeing all day."

"Yugi, when did your powers disappear?" CJ asked.

"Around lunchtime." Yugi said.

"Yugi… You were chosen by the goddesses to be a holding vessel for my cousin's power until the new true Sage of Spirit emerged." CJ said. He turned to Sarah. "And it looks like that true Sage is you, Sarah."

"Whoa…" Sarah said. Suddenly, Stacey's hand began to glow and the Triforce of Courage appeared on it.

"CJ… Look." Stacey said.

"The Triforce of Courage has chosen you." CJ said.

"Why me? I'm not brave…" Stacey said.

"You've spend your whole life caring for your sister, correct?" CJ asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Stacey asked.

"That's why you got the Triforce of Courage." CJ said. "The goddesses saw that you had the courage to step up and care for your sister after losing your parents, and because of it, they gave you the Triforce."

"Wow…" Stacey said.

"So, wait…" Mike said. "I'm like the green-haired girl from Ocarina of Time?"

"Uh… I guess…" CJ said, thrown off by the strange metaphor. "That's a good way of putting it… I think…"

"Twinrova offered their body to revive Ganon, which means he may still have been revived." CJ said. "My use of the Seal may have been in vain. And I nearly took Stacey's soul with it!" Stacey wrapped her arm around her husband.

"But you didn't, CJ…" Stacey said. "Please don't be upset… You didn't hurt me…"

"But I could've!" CJ exclaimed.

"You're constantly struggling with that Seal of Orichalcos, aren't you, CJ?" A new voice said. Everyone turned and saw a blond-haired, blue-eyed Hylian girl about the age of 18. Her hair was tied into a ponytail, and she wore a black t-shirt, jeans and glasses. On her arm was Duel Disk. Sarah and Stacey gasped.

"Wait a sec…" Sarah said.

"Layla?" Stacey asked.

"Who would've thought that your destinies were ties to Hyrule?" Layla chuckled.

"But… what brings you here, Layla?" Sarah asked.

"When evil rules all, an awakening voice from the Sacred Realm shall call those destined to be Sages, who dwell in the sacred temples…" Layla said.

"The Sheikah legend of the Sages." CJ said. "Are you telling me that you're a Sage, Layla?"

"Yup." Layla said. "My cousin was Saria Floyd."

"If you're really the Sage of Time, prove it in a duel with me, Layla."

"I'm not done." Layla said. "I pay 2000 life points (LP: 4000 – 2000) to activate Final Countdown!" CJ gasped as a ring of 20 flames appeared in the sky above the duel. "Finally, I sacrifice my three Harpie monsters to summon Time Magician (ATK: 3600)!" CJ watched as a monster that looked similar to Layla appeared on the field, carrying a staff that glowed with a rainbow light.

"That's enough…" CJ said. "Everyone come with me." CJ then led everyone into the castle's library, where he took down a book that was titled "History of the Time Sage". He took it out and began to scan through it.

"What are you looking for, CJ?" Stacey asked. CJ then pointed to the last page.

"This…" CJ said. "The last Sage of Time, before my first wife Saria, was her mother, Rebecca Floyd. Becky had two siblings… An adopted sister, Chelsea's mother, and a blood-related brother, Allan."

"Okay… What's that mean?" Stacey asked.

"That Chelsea's not the true Sage of Time." CJ said. "Layla is… That card she played, Time Magician, is a card that only members of the Floyd family have."

"So, you believe me?" Layla asked. Suddenly, she began to glow with a golden light and the Triforce of Wisdom appeared on her hand.

"I don't have to." CJ said. "The Triforce is proof enough." He then chuckled. "Last I saw you, before I came to Hyrule, you were a young duelist who was obsessed with Mai Valentine… And judging by your deck, not much has changed."

"Hey, she's a powerful duelist who's made it to the finals of several tournaments." Layla said. "Of course, my deck is nothing compared to hers."

"But it's still powerful." CJ said. "And, it's nice to see you again, Layla."

"You too, CJ." Layla said. "And I'm sorry about Saria."

"Thanks." CJ said.

"_And in finding Stacey, my life changed significantly…"_

CJ, Stacey and several residents of Hyrule were gathered in Hyrule Castle courtyard. The residents were seated, and CJ and Stacey stood before the crowd, along with an older man in a robe.

CJ and Stacey turned and looked at the man. Stacey wore an elegant light blue dress, and CJ wore a white tux. On CJ's head was a crown, and his Triforce Amulet was hung around his neck.

"Do you, King CJ Francis of Hyrule, take Stacey Dow to be your lawfully wedded wife and Queen of Hyrule, for better or worse, until death do you part?" The man asked.

CJ smiled. "I do."

"And do you, Stacey Dow, Sage of Water and bearer of the Triforce of Courage, take King CJ Francis to be your lawfully wedded husband, for better or worse, until death do you part?" The man asked.

"I do." Stacey said with a smile.

"I now pronounce you man and wife…" The man said. CJ then placed a diamond tiara upon Stacey's head and smiled.

"People of Hyrule…" CJ said. "I give you the new Queen of Hyrule… Queen Stacey Francis!" The people of Hyrule cheered and bowed to their new queen.


	9. True Sages Pt 3: Return of the Darkness

**CHAPTER EIGHT: The True Sages (Part III) – Return of the Darkness**

"_And I soon learned that Shaylene was a Sage, and no matter what, she couldn't escape Fate…"_

Shaylene reached for her deck and watched as it emitted an ethereal glow. _What… what is this?_ She snapped the top card off of her deck and gasped.

"_Shaylene…"_

_CJ? What's going on?_

"_Listen, Shaylene… You're the Sage of Life…"_

_I'm what?_

"_The Sage of Life… A Sage descended from the Oocca tribe… You have the power to open the gateway to the City in the Sky without the Sky Cannon or the power of the Skyward Sword. You're also the guardian to the Dominion Rod…"_

_So… I __am__ a Sage?_

"_Yes… There was a reason the goddesses allowed me to take your power as Sage of the Forest from you… They knew that you were the Sage of Life… Shaylene… You were a Sage all along… It's your destiny, and we can't escape it…"_

_Wow…_

"Time to end this!" Shaylene said. "Using my Phoenix's ability, I can summon a monster with Sage of Life in its name from my hand… So I Special Summon myself… Shaylene, Sage of Life (ATK: 2750)!"

"That's it… This duel's over…" CJ said.

"First, I'll destroy your defense!" Shaylene said, launching an energy blast that destroyed Alex's monster. "Now, Sacred Phoenix, end the duel!" Alex stood there as the Phoenix launched a flame at him (LP: 0), ending the duel.

"And the winner is… Shaylene Johnson!" Roland exclaimed. CJ ran over to Shaylene and hugged her.

"Nice duel, kiddo." He said.

"Thanks." Shaylene said. "I still can't believe I actually _am_ a Sage…"

"Me neither…" CJ said. "I guess there's just no escaping your destiny…"

"_And there was also a Twelfth Sage… the Sage of Death…"_

CJ walked over to Samuel, who was standing outside the Kaiba Dome.

"Hey." CJ said.

"Whoa… H-hello, Your Majesty." Samuel said.

CJ chuckled. "You don't have to be so formal. Tell me, where did you get that dragon card?"

"You mean my Cursed Dragon?" Samuel asked.

"Yes." CJ said.

"Well, my Dad's an archaeologist here in Hyrule." Samuel said. "He was exploring the ruins of some ancient temple beneath the desert, and he found this card in a deep chamber."

"Okay." CJ said. "You see, Samuel… That card is the ancient dragon Argarok. It was a dragon that lived within the soul of the Sage of Death, a member of the Twili tribe. However, when Zant tried to take over Hyrule, he was able to use the power of that dragon, being a descendant of the Sage of Death, to attack the Oocaa tribe."

"So… am I… a Sage?" Samuel asked, shocked.

"Yes." CJ said. "You're the Sage of Death."

"What does that mean?" Samuel asked.

"As Sage of Death, you have the ability to enter the Twilight Realm without the need of the Mirror of Twilight."

"_And with that… I had truly found all the Sages… But little did I realize, it would soon be on our hands to save Hyrule… The Demon Lord, Ghirahim, rose to power in Hyrule, and it was soon on the hands of the Sages of Life and Death to uncover the Light Force and the Fused Shadows, defeating Ghirahim… And soon, after that, we were tasked with defeating a evil being named Dimentio, before he used the power of the newly discovered Star Destiny Cards to destroy all dimensions and start life anew…"_

"I play Graceful Charity!" CJ said. "I draw three cards, as long as I discard two. And since one of the cards I discarded was Garo Tribe – Garo Master, it's banished from the game instead of going to the graveyard. Next, I sacrifice Garo Robe, who is also banished, and Dark Gerudo Pirate to summon myself… CJ, Sage of Shadow (ATK: 3000)! Next, I play Ritual of Chaos! I sacrifice Din, Goddess of Power from my hand to summon the Chaos Heart (ATK: 4500)!" Then, a heart covered with a dark aura emerged from CJ and appeared on the field. "Then, I'll use my face down Call of the Haunted to summon Shaylene, Sage of Life from my graveyard (ATK: 2750)." Shaylene was then filled with a golden aura and she opened her eyes. She stood up and ran over to CJ as he stepped forward and stood next to his monsters. Shaylene then stood next to him.

_No! I can't fight both the Purity Heart and Chaos Heart!_ Dimentio cried out from within Kaiba's mind.

"Now, by sending Shaylene, Sage of Life and CJ, Sage of Shadow to the graveyard, I can summon my ultimate monster…" CJ said. He took Shaylene's hand and a golden light enveloped the two. When it vanished, CJ was holding a bronze staff. Atop the staff was a upside-down golden triangular stone. Attached to each side of the triangle was a round amethyst stone, making three in all. He also wore golden armor bearing the Sheikah eye symbol. In Shaylene's hand was a golden-bladed sword with a red hilt that resembled a bird. "I summon Defenders of Hyrule (ATK: 4500)!" Shaylene smiled and looked at CJ.

"That's the card I created…" She said.

"Of course." CJ said. "And I activate the ability of my defenders! By sending a card from my deck to the graveyard… like Ritual of Power, I can special summon any monster from either graveyard, regardless of summoning conditions… including Din, the Goddess of Power (ATK: 7500)! Next, Dust Tornado will blow away your Shadow Spell!"

"What?" Kaiba exclaimed.

"Din, destroy Blue Eyes! Chaos Heart! Wipe out Enraged Battle Ox! And the Purity Heart will wipe out a defense, and the Defenders will clear the field of your final defense!" CJ said, as his monster force wiped the field clean. "Finally, I'll lay two cards face down. Go."

"I play Cost Down and Soul Exchange!" Kaiba said. "First, Cost Down will reduce the level of all monsters in my hand by 2. Next, Soul Exchange allows me to sacrifice one of your monsters…"

_He's done no matter what he sacrifices…_ CJ thought.

"I sacrifice the Goddess of Power!" Kaiba said. "And I set a defense. Your move."

"I send Ganondorf, King of Evil from my deck to the graveyard to summon Din, Goddess of Power (ATK: 7500)." CJ said, as the red spirit of the sacred goddess appeared on the field. "Din, rain your judgment down on Kaiba's defense!" Kaiba watched as divine beams of red light pierced his monster, revealing it to be the Blue Eyes White Dragon before destroying it. "Now, Mystical Space Typhoon will wipe out your final face down card… And finally, the Defenders of Hyrule and the Sacred Hearts of Light and Darkness will be your end, Dimentio!"

"Purity Heart!" Shaylene exclaimed.

"Chaos Heart!" CJ shouted.

"Defenders of Hyrule!" CJ and Shaylene said in unison. "Attack with Sacred Union of the Heart!" The Purity Heart and Chaos Heart began to radiate, before the two returned to their respective duelists. Shaylene and CJ then began to radiate with a rainbow aura, before launching a blast of energy that struck Kaiba, slamming him full force into the back wall of the Shadow Queen's tomb (LP: 0).

"…_And after that, my life took a step into a new change…"_

CJ, Shaylene and Stacey were in Hyrule Castle's throne room. Shaylene and Stacey were arguing with each other.

"Shaylene, this has to stop!" Stacey said. "He's my husband!"

"But I love him and he loves me!" Shaylene said.

"If he loves you, then why is he married to me?" Stacey asked.

"Because he's confused!" Shaylene said. "Tell her, CJ! You love me!"

"No! Tell this immature little tramp that you love me!" Stacey shouted.

"Tramp?" Shaylene exclaimed. "You're a whore!"

"Excuse me, you little home wrecker?" Stacey said. "I could kick your ass into next week!" Shaylene activated her Duel Watch, transforming it into a Duel Disk.

"Fine!" Shaylene said. "Let's duel! Winner gets CJ!"

"You're on!" Stacey said.

"Whoa, wait… What?" CJ exclaimed. "You can't just fight over me like a cheap toy!"

"And you can't toy with our emotions!" Stacey said.

"And string our hearts along!" Shaylene said. "So pick one of us. Who do you want to be with?"

"I… I don't know…" CJ said. "I'm not sure what to think anymore… I… Need some time to think about things… I need to be alone." With that, he waved his hand and vanished from the castle.

"I'm sorry, CJ… I didn't mean for all this to happen…" Shaylene said. She and CJ were sitting on her bed in Hyrule Castle. "I just…"

"No… Don't apologize…" CJ said. "It was meant to happen the way it did. Besides, the divorce papers have been finalized. And it's not like Stacey's not still around in case something happens between you and me, and I decide to go back to her… Assuming she accepts me."

"I know, but…" Shaylene said. CJ put his finger on her lips to silence her.

"What did I just say?" He smirked. "Don't apologize… It's a sign of weakness."

"You would…" Shaylene said. CJ smiled as he pressed his lips to hers, quickly silencing her. She gasped a little as he pushed her down onto her back and climbed on top of her…

"_But… through all that… the darkness in my heart… the rise of Ghirahim… A great evil arose, that now threatens us all…"_


	10. The Ruby Sword of Power

**CHAPTER NINE: The Ruby Sword of Power**

Somewhere in the Gerudo Desert, Ganon stood with Zant, Agahnim and Vaati… He smiled as he transformed back into Ganondorf.

"Perfect… Ghirahim's revival and his rebirth of Majora has given me the power to rise again!" Ganondorf laughed. "And now… I will fully restore my ultimate power!"

"But Lord Ganondorf, how will- ack!" Zant's sentence was cut short as Ganondorf snapped his neck, killing him. "That was for losing the Twilight throne." He then stabbed his sword into Vaati's chest, killing him. And with one final blast, he slaughtered Agahnim. He then focused his energy and absorbed the life forces of Zant, Vaati and Agahnim, as well as the nearby energies of Ghirahim and Majora.

"Now… It's time to end this…" Ganondorf said.

_**Meanwhile…**_

CJ sat in a small room in Hyrule Castle with Stacey and Shaylene.

"So… about that ceremony on my 16th birthday…" Shaylene said.

"That's not important right now." CJ said. "We have more pressing matters. I just got contacted by one of my guards in the Gerudo Desert… After we defeated Ghirahim, he said he spotted Ganondorf, Zant, Agahnim, and Vaati near the Gerudo Mesa."

"Wait… Ganondorf's back?" Stacey asked.

"Yes. And it's worse." CJ said. "My guard reported that Ganondorf killed his minions, absorbing their life forces."

"So… he's at full power?" Shaylene asked.

"Unfortunately, yes." CJ said. "But there is a way we can win."

"How?" Stacey asked.

"There are three magical items in Hyrule that can bestow ultimate power on their holder… The Ruby Sword of Power, the Sapphire of Wisdom and the Emerald Cloak of Courage…" CJ said. "If we can find them, we can stop Ganondorf."

"Where will we find them?" Shaylene asked.

"I've heard whispers of the Ruby Sword of Power being hidden somewhere in the Gerudo Desert…" CJ said. "Our best start would be the Spirit Temple." It was then that an earthquake rocked Hyrule. CJ and the girls looked outside to see smoke billowing out of Death Mountain.

"But what about Janelle?" Stacey asked. CJ pulled out his cell phone and dialed a guard. "We have a situation. Death Mountain looks like it's about to erupt. Evacuate everyone. Tell Janelle to bring the Gorons to Castle Town. We can put them up in the Goronio Hotel for the time being. As for her and the elders, they can take refuge in the castle."

"Yes sir." A voice echoed from the other side.

"So… we're headed to the Spirit Temple?" Shaylene asked.

"Like I said, I've heard whispers of the Ruby Sword of Power being spotted in the desert." CJ said. "It would make sense. The Ruby Sword represents the Triforce of Power. And the Triforce of Power has always been held by a Gerudo… for the longest time, that Gerudo was Ganondorf."

"Then why don't we start our search in Ganon's Tower?" Stacey asked.

"Because…" CJ said. "The Spirit Temple was Ganondorf's base of operations during the age of the Hero of Time, and it's very likely that Ganondorf used the Spirit Temple as a base in later times."

"Oh… Okay." Stacey said.

"But before we go… I have something for you, Shay." CJ said. He walked over to a nearby chest and opened it. He reached in and took out a golden-bladed sword with a red hilt shaped like the head and wings of a bird. "The Loftbird Blade."

"Wow… Thanks." Shaylene said.

"I crafted this sword from gold and rubies that were found in Skyloft, and it's infused with both your magic, as well as the magic energies of the Oocca and the Minish." CJ said.

_**Later…**_

CJ, Shaylene and Stacey walked into the Spirit Temple. CJ held the Golden Pyramid Sword, Stacey was holding the Master Sword, and Shaylene held the Loftbird Blade.

"Stay on your guard, you two." CJ said. "Things could get dangerous. If Ganondorf is back, then there's a good chance his minions have begun making their base of operations here in the Spirit Temple."

"How do you know?" Stacey asked.

"Like I said, during the days of the Hero of Time, Ganondorf made his base of operations here in the Spirit Temple." CJ said. "Specifically, it was the base for Twinrova."

"Should we split up?" Shaylene asked.

"No." CJ said. "If we split up, we run the risk of one of you getting attacked." He then led the girls through a small hallway and they soon emerged in a large room. In the center of the room was a large statue of a woman in Gerudo clothing sitting cross-legged. On her head was a snake-like headdress. CJ reached into his backpack and pulled out a small claw attached to a retractable cable. He launched the cable up toward a steel grate in the head of the statue. "Grab my waist." Shaylene and Stacey wrapped their arms around CJ's waist. He pressed a button on the claw, retracting the cable and pulling him and the girls up to the grate. He opened the grate, and the three passed through a door, leading them into a large room filled with stone pillars and a brick throne.

"Where are we?" Stacey asked.

"Near the inner sanctum of the Spirit Temple." CJ said. "It was in this very room that the Hero of Time fought Nabooru, the Sage of Spirit, who was possessed by the witch Twinrova and transformed into an Iron Knuckle."

"What's an Iron Kn…" Shaylene's sentence was cut off as she vanished.

"Shaylene?" CJ asked.

"Where'd she g…" Stacey then vanished as well.

"That's not good." CJ said. A pillar of fire and a pillar of ice then appeared before him. The pillars vanished, and two old witches floated where the pillars were. One witch wore a headband with a ruby in it, and the other wore a headband with a sapphire in it.

"My Ice will chill you to your soul…" The ice witch, Kotake, said.

"And my Fire will burn you to your bones…" The fire witch, Koume, said. "But first, our soldier will deal with you… Should you get past it, you shall face us…" A warrior in heavy golden armor appeared in front of the brick throne. It snapped its fingers and an axe appeared in its hands. Kotake and Koume then vanished.

CJ then found himself face to face with an Iron Knuckle. The Iron Knuckle began to charge at him. He slashed at it with his sword, causing it to fall to one knee. He swung his sword again, striking the Iron Knuckle in the chest plate. He jumped over the creature and struck its helmet with his sword. He gasped as the helmet dropped to the floor. He sheathed his sword quickly. On her knees, in the Iron Knuckle's armor was Shaylene. Suddenly, the armor fell off and Shaylene was left in simply her pink tank top and jeans. CJ ran over to Shaylene and pulled her into an embrace.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah… I'm fine… What… What happened?" Shaylene asked.

"Twinrova brainwashed you and turned you into an Iron Knuckle." CJ said.

Shaylene looked around. "Wait… where's Stacey?"

"I don't know." CJ frowned. Suddenly, a door beyond the brick throne opened. CJ and Shaylene walked through it and found themselves in a large room. In the center of the room was a high plateau. CJ and Shaylene climbed to the top and looked around the room.

"Heh heh heh heh…" The two gasped as Kotake and Koume appeared before them.

"Where's Stacey?" CJ asked.

"If you can beat us, maybe we'll tell you." Kotake said. CJ reached into his backpack and pulled out a shiny blue shield. He tossed it to Shaylene and grabbed another shiny red shield out of his backpack.

"Use that to reflect their attacks." CJ said. "Reflect Kotake's Ice at Koume, and Koume's Fire at Kotake. Reflect it off of my shield if you have to."

"Okay." Shaylene said.

"Take this!" Kotake said, launching an ice beam at Shaylene. She bounced it off of her shield toward CJ, and he bounced it off of his shield, striking Koume. Koume let out a gasp as she dropped to her knees. CJ ran over to her and struck her with his sword. She quickly got up and charged a fire beam. Kotake then fired another ice beam. Shaylene deflected the ice beam at Koume, while CJ deflected the fire beam at Kotake. The witches dropped to their knees. CJ and Shaylene ran over to the two witches and slashed at them.

"Kyeeehhhh!" The witches let out a cry as CJ and Shaylene thrust the Golden Pyramid Sword and the Loftbird Blade into their chests.

"Where's Stacey?" CJ asked as he twisted his sword inside Koume's chest.

"Yeeaahhhh! By… defeating us… you've rescued her…" Koume said, as she and Kotake vanished in a cloud of black smoke. Stacey then appeared before CJ and Shaylene. CJ ran over to Stacey and wrapped his arms around her.

"I'm so glad you're okay." He said.

"Thanks for saving me." Stacey said. Suddenly, energy began to gather nearby. CJ looked and watched as the energy formed a golden-hilted, ruby-bladed sword.

He walked over and picked it up. "The Ruby Sword of Power…" He turned to Stacey. "And you're welcome."

"So what's the deal with this sword?" Shaylene asked.

"Like I said, it's an extremely powerful sword, nearly equal in power to the Master Sword, the Loftbird Blade, the Four Sword, the Golden Pyramid Sword, and the Twilight Blade." CJ said.

"Twilight Blade?" Stacey asked.

"Samuel's sword." CJ said. "Now, as I was saying, the Ruby Sword of Power was once wielded by a legendary Gerudo Princess named Ali. Together, with her friend, Prince Colin of Hyrule, who wielded the Emerald Cloak of Courage, and his sister, Princess Zelda of Hyrule, who held the Sapphire of Wisdom, she defended Hyrule from evil in the ages before the Hero of Time."

"But I thought Hyrule wasn't unified back then…" Shaylene said.

"It wasn't." CJ said. "Princess Ali was banished from Gerudo for associating with the Hylians. She married a Kokiri and swore off her ties to Gerudo."

"So how did the Ruby Sword of Power end up back in Gerudo?" Stacey asked.

"It's rumored that one of the Sages of Spirit took it and hid it here in the Spirit Temple." CJ said. "But enough of that… Let's go. We need to keep looking. There are still two items to find."


	11. Sapphire & Emerald

**CHAPTER TEN: **

**The Sapphire of Wisdom & The Emerald Cloak of Courage**

CJ, Stacey and Shaylene walked out of the Spirit Temple. CJ now had the Ruby Sword of Power in a scabbard at his waist.

"So… what's next?" Stacey asked.

"Now we have to find the Sapphire of Wisdom." CJ said. "If I had to guess, I would expect to find it in the ancient Temple of Time, in the Sacred Grove… After all, it was held by the Princess of Hyrule."

_**Later…**_

CJ, Shaylene and Stacey walked into the Sacred Grove.

"Stacey, this one's all you." CJ said. Stacey walked up to the pedestal where the Master Sword once stood. She jammed the sword into the pedestal, and time began to flow back. The three soon found themselves in the Temple of Time, centuries ago.

"So… this is what the ancient Temple of Time looked like…" Shaylene said.

"Yup." CJ said. "Now follow me… We have to try to find the Sapphire of Wisdom."

"So, where do you think it is?" Stacey asked.

"Most likely the Prayer Chamber…" CJ said.

"How do we get there?" Shaylene asked. CJ pointed to a golden door in front of them. Next to the door was a statue on a pedestal, and opposite the statue was an empty pedestal.

"It looks like we'll need to find the other statue." CJ said. "Do you have the Dominion Rod, Shay?"

Shaylene pulled out a blue rod. The tip had bracket-shaped pieces of stone attached to it. "Of course."

"Good." CJ said. "Cuz we're gonna need it for the other statue when we find it… Now, come on, let's start looking." The three began to explore the ancient Temple of Time and soon found themselves on the 9th floor of the temple. CJ opened a large golden door and the three defenders of Hyrule found themselves in a large room. At the far end was a knight in black armor.

"A Darknut…" Shaylene said.

"Shall we crush it with teamwork?" Stacey asked. CJ looked at a platform above the Darknut and saw a statue identical to the one at the temple's entrance.

"No." CJ said. "You guys stand back. I'll handle the Darknut… Shay, while I'm distracting him, try to control the statue with the Dominion Rod and get it out of here and back to the first floor."

"Okay." Shaylene said. CJ ran forward, leaped into the air and struck the Darknut in the head with his sword, knocking off its helmet. Meanwhile, Shaylene pulled out the Dominion Rod and launched an energy ball at the statue. The statue sprung to life and Shaylene began to lead the statue out of the room. Meanwhile, CJ rolled around behind the Darknut, leaped into the air, and struck it in the back, damaging its armor. Meanwhile, Stacey and Shaylene had exited the room, statue following them.

"So… how do we get it all the way downstairs?" Stacey asked. Shaylene looked around the temple and saw a golden platform under a bell.

"That might be a good place to start." Shaylene said. She led the statue onto the platform. The bell slowly descended and covered the statue. A loud gong sound filled the room and the bell rose, revealing that the statue had vanished.

"…Where'd it go?" Stacey said.

"I have an idea." Shaylene said, running downstairs. As they reached the 8th floor, they saw the statue sitting on a golden platform under another bell. "Bingo." Suddenly, a group of large spider monsters appeared in the room.

"Damn spiders!" Stacey said, quickly firing an arrow at one of them, killing it.

"I got it." Shaylene said, running forward. She swung the Loftbird Blade in a spinning motion, killing most of the spiders. She then began to control the statue. She led the statue to another platform, and it vanished after being covered by another bell. Shaylene and Stacey ran down a few more sets of stairs, until they reached the second floor, where the statue reappeared. Shaylene possessed the statue, and led it downstairs to the first floor, where she walked the statue to the empty platform next to the door to the prayer chamber. CJ then appeared next to the girls.

"Follow me." CJ said, as he and the girls walked into the prayer chamber, where dark energy began to gather, which took on the form of a blue-skinned man in a red cloak.

The man laughed. "Ah the King of Hyrule… And his girlfriends…"

"Agahnim… one of Ganon's most loyal servants." CJ said.

"Yes… And I'm here to stop you from getting the Sapphire of Wisdom." Agahnim said. CJ smirked as he drew his sword.

"Sorry, but there's not a chance in Dark World that you're stopping me." CJ said. Agahnim gathered an energy blast in his hands and launched it at CJ. CJ jumped back, striking the blast and sending it back at Agahnim. Agahnim leaped back but was still struck by his magic blast.

"Ahh! You'll pay for that!" Agahnim said. CJ then charged an energy blast into his hands and launched it, stunning Agahnim. He turned to Shaylene and Stacey and nodded. The girls rushed forward and together, the three drove their swords into Agahnim's chest. He cried out in pain before vanishing in a cloud of purple smoke. In his place was a small blue gem. CJ reached down and picked it up.

"The Sapphire of Wisdom…" He said.

"So now we have to find the Emerald Cloak of Courage, right?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah." CJ said. "Legends tell that sometime after Prince Colin died, the cloak fell into the hands of a Sheikah man named Alto."

"So where do you think we should look for it?" Shaylene asked.

"Well, Alto lived in the old Kakariko Village, now known as the Hidden Village… When he passed away, he gave the cloak to his two sons… Sharp and Flat." CJ said.

"The Composer Brothers." Shaylene said.

"Exactly." CJ said. "There are rumors that they took the cloak to their graves with them, and that it's buried somewhere underneath the old village, in the old Kakariko Graveyard."

"How do we get to it?" Shaylene asked.

"We'll need to prove connection to the Royal Family… And there's a good chance that we'll need the Sun Song as well." CJ said. "It's best if I head down into the crypts alone."

"No way!" Shaylene said. "We're not letting you do this alone! What if something happens while you're down there? Who's gonna defend you?"

"Fine…." CJ said. "Then you can come with me?"

_**A short time later…**_

CJ, Shaylene and Stacey walked up to a gravestone in the Hidden Village.

The gravestone was old and worn and only a few words could be read.

"Only one who shows connection to the Royal Family may enter this tomb…" CJ read. He pulled out the sacred Ocarina of Time and played a mysterious melody. The tombstone moved, revealing a staircase. The three ran down the stairs and found themselves in a mysterious crypt. CJ walked forward, with the girls behind him, until he came to a wall with writing etched on it.

"The rising sun will eventually set, A newborn's life will fade. From sun to moon, moon to sun... Give peacful rest to the living dead. Restless souls wander where they don't belong, bring them calm with the Sun's Song." Shaylene read. "It looks like there's more, but I… I can't understand that writing."

"It's Ancient Sheikan… The forgotten writing of the Sheikah…" CJ said. "When the all-ruling arises and the land is covered in darkness… Play the Sun's Song here… And the key to victory will appear…" CJ took out his Ocarina and played the Sun's Song. Two ghosts appeared before the group, both holding conductor's batons.

"You have shown connection to both the Royal Family and the Sheikah who serve it…" One of the ghosts said. "What brings you to this crypt?"

"Ganondorf has returned to ravage Hyrule, and I seek the Emerald Cloak of Courage." CJ said. He held up his hand, Triforce of Power aglow. Stacey held up the Triforce of Courage and Shaylene held up the Light Force.

"Very well…" One of the ghosts said. Suddenly a bright light filled the room. When it vanished, an emerald green cloak sat in CJ's hands. Suddenly, a loud crash echoed throughout the crypt. Everyone turned and saw none other than Vaati.

"Vaati! What do you want?" Shaylene snapped.

"To bring your doom!" Vaati said. Shaylene quickly drew the Loftbird Blade.

"Let's go!" She said. Vaati launched an energy blast at her, which she swiftly dodged, before striking him in the chest with her sword.

"What? How did you-?" Vaati exclaimed, before collapsing to the ground and vanishing.

"Way to go, kiddo!" CJ said, high-fiving Shaylene. He then turned and looked off toward Death Mountain.

"Something on your mind?" Shaylene asked.

"This is it…" CJ said. "The Ruby Sword of Power, the Sapphire of Wisdom and the Emerald Cloak of Courage are all in my possession… It's time to end this…"


	12. Showdown with the Dark Lord

**CHAPTER ELEVEN: The Final Face-Off: Showdown with the Dark Lord**

"_I had done it… I had gathered all three legendary items… It was time to bring about an end to this war… It was time to bring an end to Ganondorf…"_

CJ turned to Shaylene and Stacey.

"You two head back to Hyrule Castle." CJ said. "This is my fight."

"We're not going anywhere, CJ." A new voice said. He turned around and saw the other Sages.

"That's right." Joey said. "We're here to help ya defeat Ganon, once and for all." CJ knew he was outnumbered.

"Okay, fine." He said. "Let's go."

A short time later, everyone was gathered at the base of Death Mountain. They became to climb the mountain, ready to finish the battle.

"So, any idea where Ganon might be hiding?" Mai asked.

"Not in the Fire Temple or Goron City, I know that." Janelle said.

"No… Of course not. He'd be hiding on Turtle Rock." CJ said.

"Turtle Rock?" Shaylene asked. "Why?"

"It's where he's made his base before… and it's almost always where he's held Princess Zelda captive…" Layla chimed in.

"Exactly." CJ said. "If he were preparing a massive attack on Hyrule, he'd start there."

"Why not start with the castle?" Stacey asked.

"Because that only worked once… His first time taking over Hyrule." CJ said. "We were fresh out of the Hyrulian Civil War, and Ganondorf came to the castle as an emissary of peace between the Hylian citizens and the Gerudo."

"Oh…" Stacey said. Suddenly, an explosion rocked Death Mountain. The group looked up and saw an army of monsters racing down the mountain.

"Uh-oh…" Samuel said.

"That can't be good." Serenity said.

"CJ… You keep going… Go fight Ganondorf. We'll stay here and prevent the monsters from getting further down the mountain." Shaylene said.

"No…" Stacey said. "You go with him, Shaylene. There's no way he can do it alone, even with the legendary items. He'll need your love and support."

Shaylene smiled. "You really mean that, Stacey?" She asked.

"Yeah." Stacey said. "I'm not fighting you for him anymore… Now go take down Ganondorf."

"Thanks." Shaylene said, as the two ran up the mountain.

"Time to fight!" Stacey exclaimed. "For Hyrule!"

_**A short time later…**_

Ganondorf stood atop Death Mountain. CJ and Shaylene came running up. CJ now wore the Emerald Cloak of Courage, was wearing the Sapphire of Wisdom around his neck and was wielding the Ruby Sword of Power.

"Stay back." CJ whispered to Shaylene. "I'll erect a magic barrier, creating a battlefield that Ganondorf can't leave."

"Okay… Good luck." Shaylene said before kissing CJ. CJ snapped his fingers and an invisible barrier surrounded the mountain top.

"We meet again, child…" Ganondorf smirked.

"23 years…" CJ said. "This battle has gone on for 23 years."

"Yes. But it will all end on this day." Ganondorf said.

"Indeed it will." CJ said. "For 23 years, you've hunted me. And for 23 years, you've been unsuccessful in killing me."

"The same goes for you." Ganondorf said.

"Yes. On the day you killed my parents, you tried to kill me." CJ said. "But the goddess Din whisked me away to safety…"

"To Earth, where I was unable to get you." Ganondorf said. "A magic barrier erected by the goddesses prevented me from leaving Corneria. But you made a fatal mistake 7 years ago…"

"I returned to Hyrule." CJ said. "With Saria."

"Ah yes, the Princess of Hyrule." Ganondorf said. "Although I couldn't kill you, I was successful in killing her." CJ began gathering energy into his hands. "Although despite killing her, I couldn't claim the Triforce of Wisdom."

"Because it was protected within our daughter Lynn by the goddess Nayru until I found another to bear the Triforce of Wisdom." CJ said. "And it didn't take long to find Kylie."

"Yes. Until that fateful day when I managed to cause her plane to crash in San Andreas…" Ganondorf said.

"The day you took dozens of innocent lives just for a chance to obtain Wisdom." CJ said.

"And yet again, the Triforce of Wisdom was protected within your daughter Lynn." Ganondorf said. "And even though I had killed Saria's brother Ryan, the Triforce of Courage transferred itself to your girlfriend Shaylene, again foiling my plans."

"Until my best friend betrayed me." CJ said.

"Yes, but even that didn't stop you." Ganondorf said. "Once again, you managed to find people to hold Wisdom and Courage… Your friends Layla and Stacey."

"But that's not the only reason neither of us has been able to kill one another all these years." CJ said.

"Yes…" Ganondorf said. "Our magic is born of the same tribe. Although you were born from several tribes, over the centuries, I have mastered the magic of all those tribes."

"And both of our swords are forged from the same metals… gold found near the Spirit Temple." CJ said.

"As well as being infused by the magic of Twinrova…" Ganondorf said. "Mine bears the fire magic of Koume, and yours is infused…"

"… With the ice magic of Kotake. However, there is one thing I have that you don't." CJ said.

"After centuries, I have grown so strong that even the Master Sword cannot kill me." Ganondorf said.

"Too bad I found the three items that together, give me the power to kill you…" CJ said. "The Ruby Sword of Power, the Sapphire of Wisdom, and the Emerald Cloak of Courage." He then ran forward, hand aglow with the Triforce, and clashed swords with Ganondorf. The sound of metal clanging against metal soon echoed throughout Hyrule.

"How fitting that here… on Turtle Rock… Where I have imprisoned so many before, that I would kill the King of Hyrule and reclaim my Triforce of Power… And then I can finish what I started and claim the entire Triforce… Just as I did so long ago… During the Imprisoning War." Ganondorf said.

"But in claiming the full Triforce, you were sealed in the Golden Land and it became the Dark World." CJ said, as he pushed Ganondorf back.

Ganondorf chuckled. "Yes… But thanks to Agahnim, I was able to make my return to Hyrule…"

"By imprisoning the descendants of the same 7 Sages who sealed you in the Dark World after you somehow managed to kill the Hero." CJ said. "However, you didn't fully escape the Dark World. You were killed by the Hero with the Silver Arrows."

"Yes, until my servant Twinrova brought me back to life with the Flames of Destruction, Sorrow and Despair." Ganondorf said.

"You seem to forget that the Evil's Summoning Ritual was never fully commenced." CJ said.

"True." Ganondorf said. "But over time, I was reborn… Don't forget the Gerudo legend, boy."

"Until the Hero once again killed you with the Silver Arrows for a second time." CJ said.

"Yes… But I rose to power again…" Ganondorf said. "Thanks to Maximillion Pegasus, Gordon Floyd and that amulet you wear." CJ clutched the golden triangular amulet around his neck.

"But you made one fatal mistake 23 years ago." CJ said, as the two clashed swords once again.

"Hmm?" Ganondorf smirked. CJ unleashed a mighty push with his sword, the Triforce aglow on his hand, that knocked Ganondorf onto his back. CJ smirked as the glowing wound on Ganondorf's chest, left by the Ancient Sages themselves, began to glow brightly.

"You messed up the wrong kid's life…" CJ said as his sword began to glow so bright that its gleam could be seen from all across the planet of Corneria.

"Oh really?" Ganondorf laughed. "What exactly did I do?"

"You know what you did." CJ said, as he pinned Ganondorf with a great blast of magic energy. His hands and eyes then began to glow purple, and the Shadow Medallion appeared on a small rope around his neck. His Triforce Amulet began to glow as well, giving off a rainbow hue.

"Ah, the Ancient Avatar State… A feat only obtainable by the bearer of the Triforce of Power, a feat where the user becomes filled with the power of all 12 Sages… Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Ice, Spirit, Forest, Time, Light, Shadow, Life and Death…" Ganondorf said.

"Yes…" CJ said. "A feat with which I will finally rid this Kingdom of you once and for all!" He then leaped into the air, sword at the ready. "This one's for my Dad!" And with a mighty attack, CJ drove the Ruby Sword into Ganondorf's glowing wound as the rest of the Sages reached the peak of Death Mountain.

Ganondorf let out a mighty scream as his last breath of life escaped him. CJ drew the Ruby Sword from Ganondorf's chest and sheathed it, smiling at his accomplishment. He watched in relief as Ganondorf's body turned to ashes, and the ashes became a golden dust. The three Golden Goddesses of Hyrule then descended from above.

"Young CJ… You've have done what no other has ever done… You have destroyed the King of Evil, and he shall never again plague anyone." The Golden Goddess of Power, Din, said.

"But one final task remains…" The Golden Goddess of Courage, Farore, said.

"And it has to do with my amulet?" CJ asked.

"That is correct." The Golden Goddess of Wisdom, Nayru, said. CJ removed his amulet from around his neck and held it up, along with his most powerful Duel Monsters card, the King of Evil.

"We shall now enact the final piece of the puzzle to rid this world of Ganondorf once and for all…" Din said. CJ's amulet began to glow, as did the King of Evil card. The glow stopped, and the items turned to stone, before returning to their original state. Meanwhile, in Hyrule Castle, Stacey and Layla gasped as their amulets, as well as the Hero of Time and Princess of Destiny cards did the same.

"The Triforce Destiny Cards… the great cards that Gordon Floyd created… are simply just that… cards." Nayru said.

"What about the amulets?" CJ asked.

"The spirits of Link, Zelda and Ganon have been extracted from the amulets as well." Farore said. "Ganon's spirit has been obliterated, never to return, and the spirits of the Hero of Time and the Princess of Destiny have joined their descendants in the Other World… The amulets will now be infused with our powers themselves… Should another evil arise in Hyrule, the Heroes will have the ability to call on us… the three Golden Goddesses…And…" The goddesses motioned to Shaylene, whose hand now glowed brightly with the Triforce of Courage.

"Wait… why does Shaylene hold the Triforce of Courage again?" CJ asked.

"That will be made clear to you soon enough..." Din said, before the goddesses vanished.

_**A short time later, at Hyrule Castle...**_

__CJ turned to Shaylene, Layla, Samuel and Stacey.

"With Ganondorf finally gone, we have no need for the great swords that have been passed down through the generations." CJ said. "It's time we return them to their rightful places."


End file.
